


The Grass Isn't Always Greener

by edgarallenhoe



Series: The Life and Times of Iron Maiden [10]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Age of Ultron AU, Alternate Universe - Zombies, F/M, Fluff, Minor Violence, Non-Graphic Violence, One Shot Collection, Pietro Being Cute AF, Pietro Never Dies, Spaghetti, World of Warcraft - Freeform, Zombies, one shots
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-06-18
Updated: 2015-07-05
Packaged: 2018-04-04 23:12:41
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 10,618
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4156557
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/edgarallenhoe/pseuds/edgarallenhoe
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>This a collection of one-shot AU's revolving around Quinn Rosen. (I seriously have a four page list of AU's and little descriptions that I'll probably never get to.) They typically include her relationship with Pietro Maximoff and her friendships with the other members of the Avengers.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. No Sleep 'Til We're Dead

**Author's Note:**

> I feel like I should've created a new series for this, but I really wanted it to be in the original one. I'll post these periodically when I feel like deviating from the main story line. Thanks for reading!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This chapter revolves around what would have happened if an outbreak of the zombie virus occurred and the Avengers did not exist. Quinn Rosen has been on the run since the disease was first encountered, and she's been pretty lonely in the living hell that had been created. When she meets the Maximoffs, though, things seem to be turning around for the better.

Zombies. It had to be zombies. Quinn Rosen’s life had been perfectly normal before the outbreak of the disease of undeath in 2014. She was 18 years old and living with her parents. She had a few close friends and a steady part-time job at a cafe. She was going to college soon to discover her passions. All this changed, though, when a scientist in New York City created a strain of a virus that led to dead people’s reanimation. Her parents had tried to get them on a boat or plane out of the country to somewhere safer, but everything had shut down with epidemic.

When she finally witnessed the virus’ effects close-up, it was with the death of her parents. Her mom was wielding a kitchen knife and her dad a baseball bat as they struggled to fend off three undead who had gotten into their apartment. They had pleaded with her to run, and she had reluctantly complied, tears streaming down her face as she raced out of the building as fast as she could to escape the horror above her. 

All Quinn had to protect herself was a crowbar, and the backpack she had grabbed before leaving was small and could only fit a few cans of food, a box of matches, some bandages, and a few extra articles of clothing. She figured she wouldn’t last at this rate. She decided her best and only option was to mouth down south before winter hit, or else she would freeze to death before the zombies got her. She got extremely lucky countless times, managing to escape from the clutches of zombies and never encountering looters or cannibals.

It had been about a year since her parents had died and she was working her way further south. She discovered herself in Virginia during the first winter she had experienced, and it had been rough. She figured out that she was good at sneaking around places, and could usually find whatever she was looking for before anyone, human or zombie, noticed. She had picked up jackets, food, and medicine from drug stores, abandoned houses, churches, and other various buildings. She avoided hordes of zombies and only moved when she was absolutely certain the coast was clear.

It had been so long since she had spoken to anyone else, she was sure she was going to forget how. She hadn’t encountered another living person that had been willing to speak since New York, and she was a bit tired of the isolation. She wanted a friend or companion, someone to share this horror with. She was giving up hope that she’d ever find anyone else, though. When she stumbled into North Carolina, she had all but squashed her dream of meeting anyone else.

She came across an abandoned farmhouse in, from what she could tell, was the middle of absolutely nowhere. She only knew she was in North Carolina because of a road sign she had seen on her way into the state. She hid in the tall grass near the house for a full day and a half, waiting to see if anyone would come in or out. She didn’t even see any zombies, so she figured this place must’ve been abandoned long before the outbreak. She was extremely careful when she finally made her way inside.

It looked normal on the inside, like houses were supposed to appear (she hadn’t been in a house that actually looked like it was meant to be lived in for a while). The sun streamed in through windows in the kitchen, where old fashioned appliances and dining furniture sat around. She crept up the staircase in the center of the house, cringing when one of the steps creaked under her foot. She was being slow and deliberate, holding her breath and trying to make as little noise as possible. When she reached the top of the stairs, she slowly pushed the door open. Looking around the attic, she saw traces of no one, just boxes filled with knick-knacks and furniture.

Making her way back down the stairs, she saw the door to basement. If this was clear, she figured she would stay here for a night or two, even if she didn’t find anything worth taking. Her stomach gurgled, it had been about three days since she had eaten. She had one can of food left, black beans, and she was saving it for when she was desperate. She desperately hoped she would find food in the basement, which was probably why she didn’t notice the soft footsteps following her down the staircase. It was dark and damp in the cellar, and she didn’t have a flashlight. Her eyes slowly adjusted, and she clutched the crowbar tightly. There wasn’t much down here, just a few boxes and an old furnace.

She sighed and dropped her weapon to her side, turning to make her way back up. Suddenly, she heard the distinctive click of a gun and saw a figure standing at the foot of the staircase. Her heart was beating rapidly, and she dropped the crowbar and threw her hands in the air.

“Please don’t kill me!” she almost shrieked. “I’ll do whatever you want! You can have everything in my backpack. Just don’t kill me.”

She had started to back away from the figure with the gun when she bumped into something. It was another gun. There were two people here, maybe more, and she was certain that they were going to kill her. Or worse.

“Drop your bag,” the figure in front of her said. It was a woman with a thick Eastern European accent. Quinn quickly grabbed the straps and threw the bag on the floor in front of her, not wanting to anger the woman any further. “Get on your knees.”

Quinn gulped and complied, sobs wracking her body and tears streaming down her face. So, this was her last day on Earth. She figured this had to be better than getting eaten by zombies, and she closed her eyes in anticipation of the bullet that would soon pierce her skull. She didn’t feel it, though, instead hearing a male voice say something in a foreign language (Romanian maybe?) to the woman. She responded venomously, but he seemed to be pleading with her. Finally, she dropped the gun to her side in frustration and stomped back up the stairs.

Quinn was extremely confused until the man behind her moved to stand before her and held out his hand. She warily took it, pulling her backpack with her. He released her hand and made his way to the stairs, and she followed closely behind. When they reached the top of the steps, she could finally see the two people who had spared her life. 

The woman had dark brown hair and similarly-colored eyes. She was slight but tough-looking. She was dressed in dirty clothing, but who wasn’t anymore? Her shirt had a few holes in it and her jeans had mud and what looked like blood all over the calves, but her black jacket looked warm and her boots looked like they were meant for harsh conditions. The man was dressed similarly, in a ratty shirt, jeans, hiking boots, and a jacket in decent condition. He had the beginnings of a beard on his chin and strange silver hair. She could see his dark roots and wondered if he was dyeing it (the question was, why?). He was pretty handsome: his clear blue eyes seemed good-natured and he was extremely well-built underneath his clothing.

“I am Pietro, and this is Wanda.” The man, Pietro, stuck out his hand for her to shake. Wanda huffed and glared at the young woman shaking hands with her partner. 

“Why did you… spare me?” Quinn asked, avoiding the gaze of the other woman in the room. Pietro just shrugged.

“You were clearly alone, we saw you yesterday waiting in front of the house. And you had no other weapons on you. What kind of people would send in someone with no guns to scout out a house?” Damn, Quinn had thought she’d been so careful the day before.

“Well, thanks for not shooting me. I guess I’ll just be on my way then?” she queried the man in front of her. He looked at Wanda, whose nostrils were flaring, and back at Quinn.

“I am afraid that you will have to stay with us. As a safety precaution, yes?” Quinn knew she wouldn’t get away so easily, but perhaps this meant food (and maybe the companionship she had been looking for). He showed her to a bedroom and pried open one of the floorboards, revealing a place where she could stow her bag. This must have been why she hadn’t seen anything of theirs before in the rustic old house. She followed him back into the kitchen where he gestured for her to sit down.

“You seem very trustworthy. I cannot describe it,” he said as she took a seat.

“I guess I just have that kind of face,” she shrugged, looking around for Wanda.

“Wanda does not think so, but I just have a strange feeling when I first see you. I thought I knew you from somewhere. This is not possible, though.” He was looking intently at her face as he sat across from her.

“Well, I can’t say I’ve ever met you before.”

“No? It is just a feeling, then.”

“Can I… can I ask how you guys are so set up out here?” She was curious as to how they had survived this long in the farmhouse.

“Well, Wanda and I are not always in this house, no? We traveled since the outbreak from Virginia, where we were students at a university. I am quicker than she is, but is she is a better shot, which is how we have lived this long. We have been here for about a week and a half, and it seems very… isolated is the word I think. We will stay here as long as we are able, we thought, but then we met you. Wanda says you are with a group, trying to steal our things, but I disagree. You are alone, like us, just looking for ways to live.”

Quinn nodded and swallowed the lump that had been stuck in her throat since she had gotten to the house. She relaxed a bit and just listened to Pietro’s voice. He was basically fluent in English, for which she was glad.

“Now, are you hungry? We split some rabbit tonight, Wanda found some outside.” Quinn’s stomach gurgled appreciatively when they finally got around to eating the warm, juicy meat. Wanda was still angry with her, and Quinn couldn’t tell if it was just because of the presence of another woman or the fact that a stranger was eating their food. Pietro’s warmth toward her had something to do with it, she assumed. He and Wanda were most likely lovers riding out the apocalypse together and Quinn had just walked all over the life they had made together.

When she went to sleep that night, she did not dream. She was on the edges of consciousness, waiting for the other woman in the house to sneak into her room and slit her throat. She would completely understand if she did that, too, as Quinn was an intruder and untrustworthy at this point. A week passed before she knew it, and Quinn found Wanda slowly warming up to her.

It started with small things, like her passing Quinn the rest of the can of fruit when she had taken the smallest portion of whatever else they had eaten, leaving her a hairbrush when she saw the curly-haired girl trying to tame her mane with her fingers, and even going so far as to begrudgingly give her back her crowbar. Pietro was already very warm towards her. He would help her find books or games to keep them all entertained, and he always made sure she got the first helping of food. Quinn was glad for the companionship, finally sharing her experiences in this hell-like world.

One day, she was sitting on the bed in the room she had been designated and was paging through a cheesy romance novel when she heard a gentle knock on the door. She got up and opened the door, a bit surprised when she saw Pietro holding a bouquet of wildflowers in his hand. 

“What are you doing with those?” she asked, grinning. He was probably about to make some grand gesture to Wanda and wanted her help or something.

“I was hoping… to give them to you?” The end of his sentence sounded more like a question as he handed the flowers out to her, a nervous look on his face. The grin fell from her face in an instant.

“Pietro… I can’t take these. What about Wanda?” A curious look came over his face, but it was quickly gone as he realized what she was saying.

“Wanda is my twin sister,” he laughed. Quinn felt a blush creeping up on her cheeks and turned away from Pietro. He grabbed her arm before she could run and hide, and she reluctantly faced him. He held the flowers out to her with the biggest grin on his face, and she took them without saying anything.

“Oh, come here,” Quinn suddenly sighed and pulled his face down to meet her’s. Their lips touched and it felt like wildfire was running through her veins. She pulled him closer, wrapping her arms around his neck while she still clutched the flowers. His hands snaked around her waist, and they were passionately kissing in her doorway. They started moving backwards toward the bed and slammed the door.

The next morning, Quinn woke up to someone else beside her for the first time in her life. She looked over Pietro’s sleeping form with intense love in her eyes, knowing they couldn’t afford to move slowly in this post-apocalyptic world. His eyes suddenly blinked open and he smirked lazily at her. They got up and put their clothes on, finding Wanda in the kitchen with supplies littering the table.

“I am glad you two are finally awake,” she growled, clenching her teeth. “While you were busy fucking, I was gathering more food.”

“Sorry, sister. You know I love you, too, right?” Pietro leaned down and kissed the top of his sister’s head, but she pulled away, disgusted.

“You are both filthy. Here is breakfast,” she shoved two plates full of corn and peaches toward them. Her expression softened somewhat, though, and she got up to go check the perimeter of the house. Quinn and Pietro ate in silence for a while, when Pietro finally broke it.

“So, does this mean you’re my own personal cowgirl now?” he joked, smiling lopsidedly at her. She rolled her eyes and groaned.

“I’m so glad your sister wasn’t here for that.” He laughed and they continued eating. Not five minutes later, Wanda came bolting back into the room. She looked panicked.

“I was maybe not as careful as I should have been. We must get out of here, now!” She started grabbing cans off the table and piling them into a bag. Quinn and Pietro dropped their forks and flew to their rooms, gathering clothing and other items and sprinting for the exits. Quinn started to pull open the back door to the house when a gnarled, dead hand shot through it and started grabbing for her. She slammed the heavy door, easily severing the zombie’s wrist from the rest of its body.

“They’re everywhere!” Wanda screamed, “This is all my fault!”

Quinn was shaking, not thinking clearly as she ran around to check all the windows and doors. Zombies stood outside all of them. Shit. They had no escape, no way out. Quinn looked at the terrified faces of the brother and sister in the hallway. They were crying and hugging each other, saying their goodbyes in their native tongue. Quinn couldn’t take this anymore, she tried to think of a way to get them outside safely. The thought came to her as she was thinking of jumping off the roof to safety.

“There’s a deck out there, right? With a window over it?” she shouted at the siblings. Wanda nodded shakily, looking confused. The banging and moaning outside the doors was getting louder. “I’m gonna need you guys to move quickly when I get out there, okay?”

Pietro and Wanda stared at her for a long moment, but the confusion quickly passed and anger took its place in the man while resolve shone through the woman’s eyes. Pietro released his sister and rounded on Quinn.

“I will not let you do this! You cannot sacrifice yourself for two strangers!”

“I know I’ve only known you guys for a week, but you’re definitely not strangers.” She took his hand in her own. He was shaking uncontrollably. Quinn leaned in and pressed what she assumed would be her final kiss against his lips.

“I’m so glad I met you, thank you both so much,” she said as she drew away. She couldn’t stand here and say goodbye forever. Wanda nodded at her while Pietro looked at her sadly. She had a small window in which to do this, and it truly had to be done. She sprinted up the stairs, not looking back at her companions. Once she was upstairs, she threw open the window leading to the porch roof and carefully climbed outside. She could now see the small horde of zombies that had congregated outside. There were at least 50, not counting the ones she couldn’t see.

She pulled out a pocketknife that she had found in the house and sliced open her palm. The undead went crazy when they smelled the blood of human beings; they were a bit like sharks that way. She tore off a piece of her shirt and soaked it in the blood seeping from her hand wound. Quickly, she balled up the rag and tossed it into the crowd, knowing the scent would fly through the air after it. Sure enough, the zombies started to go wild when they saw it. The ones from behind the house started to flood around, seeming to wonder what all the fuss was about.

“Come get me, fuckers!” she yelled, tossing another bloody strip of her shirt at the horrid creatures. She could smell their rotting flesh and putrid breath, but it just gave her more resolve to get them away from her new friends. She couldn’t let Pietro and Wanda die, they had been good to her and they truly needed each other.

The rickety porch started to sway a bit as the zombies were thrashing around below her, trying to climb up the beams holding it up. She knew the front door wouldn’t hold for long, and sure enough she heard it splinter open. She scrambled back up the slanted roof and pulled the window shut, knowing it wouldn’t hold forever. She slid down next to it, clutching the only weapon she had, her crowbar, in her hands. She thought of the people in her life in her final moments.

He parents came first. She knew they’d be proud of her now, as she was sacrificing herself for those around her. They were full of love and kindness, and she had missed them with every breath she drew. Then, she thought of her friends. She was supposed to go to their graduation parties, see them off to college, and watch them get on with their lives afterwards. Now, all of them were likely dead. People and faces ran through her head: old teachers whose names she couldn’t even remember, remarkable men and women she had met at her job, online friends, and just kind, random strangers she had met in passing. Well, she would see them soon, she supposed.

She heard zombies started to claw at the window. She didn’t turn to face them; she didn’t want to see their wretched faces. The wood was groaning underneath her, but it was holding for the time being. She tried to think of other things, and her mind settled on the twins who were hopefully long gone by now. Even though Wanda had been cold at first, she had turned out to be surprisingly kind. Quinn knew her harsh demeanor was probably just a matter of the circumstances that she was in. If she hadn’t been thrown into this hell, who would she be? Probably good and warm, Quinn thought.

Then, her mind drifted to Pietro. The man had liked her instantly, and she had liked him. He had placed his trust in her, and correctly so. She thought of his easy smile and his gentle eyes, his broad chest and strong hands. Quinn figured that he was probably something of a playboy in normal life, easily getting all the girls and flirting with them mercilessly. The apocalypse seemed to have mellowed him out a bit (if her assumptions were true). Sure, he was still chasing tail, but it seemed like he genuinely cared about Quinn. She wanted to believe that, anyways, because she definitely cared for him. She was glad they were the ones that she was saving. They were good people who didn’t deserve this fate.

Finally, the window gave. Her breath hitched as she saw hand break through the glass and grasp wildly for her. She stood and moved toward the edge of the roof. This was probably a mistake, as it was still creaking from the zombies below her. The snarling and moaning of the monsters around her was almost too much for her. She started to sob and looked between the two options for her death. She supposed she could drive the pocket knife into her heart, but she figured doing it herself would be way more difficult. Suddenly, a shot rang out.

She peeked underneath the roof and saw a zombie dropping to the ground with a bullet in its skull. Someone had shot it, but why? And how? Was it the twins? She sincerely hoped they hadn’t come back for her. They would never make it!

She looked around curiously, still hyper aware of the zombies reaching for her back. Then, dozens of bullets were flying through the air, lodging themselves deep within the zombies. Most hit their mark, and soon the undead were dropping like flies below her. There weren’t but twenty left when she saw a group of men and women approaching, weapons drawn. The zombies had started to make their way toward the group, but the ones inside the house were still grasping at her. She was surprised the window was still mostly holding up, but she figured that dumb luck had been with her so far. 

Fighting broke out when the group of humans met the group of reanimated corpses, and she saw knives, hammers, and baseball bats flying around, whacking the zombies in their heads and breaking their skulls open like pinatas. She looked below her and saw that none of the zombies were moving. The ten foot drop probably wouldn’t kill her, but she might break a leg. Extend your knees and roll forward, she recited to herself as she steeled herself to jump. She backed up, noting the rotting hand that was still searching for her. Then, she made a running leap. 

“Shit!” she screeched as she hit the ground. She had extended her knees and attempted to roll, but ending up just sliding on her face. She pushed herself upright and rubbed her cheek, feeling blood and dirt intermingling. Ugh, this was going to hurt when she wasn’t in shock. She moved quickly, sprinting forward and away from the house, toward the group of survivors that were taking down the last few zombies. She reached them, heart still pounding from her tumble. They were a group of four men and one woman, and they all looked tough as nails. 

“Glad you’re alright,” the woman grunted as she drove a machete into the skull of the last upright zombie. She had short red hair and an expression that screamed “don’t fuck with me.” All the men had beards or stubble, and most were extraordinarily muscular. She wondered what exactly was in the water down here.

“Thanks for saving my life,” Quinn said, grateful that they hadn’t murdered her yet. She wondered if they would.

“Are you out here all alone? How did this even happen?” one of the men asked her. He had cropped blond hair and a strong chin. He looked like he had stepped out of an outdoor clothing catalogue, but she pushed that thought aside as she answered.

“I was… with some others, and the zombies just came and overwhelmed us. I don’t know if they’re still alive or… if they got away.” She had had trouble getting that out, but the man nodded understandingly.

“Well, you’re welc-” he started to say. He had been cut short, though, by the distinctive click of a gun. 

“Do not move or I put a bullet in you,” Quinn heard Wanda growl from behind the man. She couldn’t see her past the man’s broad shoulders, but knew it was her. She could see Pietro, though, who had his own gun pointed at one of the other men. Where had the twins even come from?

“You don’t wanna do this,” the redhead spoke a bit softly, aiming right for Quinn’s lover’s heart.

“Guys! Lower your weapons, they saved me!” Quinn shrieked. She had just attempted to save the twins, and they were going to throw their lives away for something completely different. Wanda hesitated, but could finally look Quinn in the eyes as she moved around the muscular man in front of her. She put down her gun and said something to Pietro in their native tongue that made him do the same. The men and women who had saved them lowered their weapons as well, and Pietro pushed through them to get to Quinn. His arms were thrown around her so tightly that she couldn’t breathe.

“I cannot believe you did that! You are so stupid, thinking of sacrificing yourself for us! You are far more important than I am, and I refuse to ever have you do something like that again!” he was shouting at her from behind her back. She was bright red as the other group and Wanda watched their little spectacle. He finally pulled away to look at her, and she saw tears leaking out of his eyes. She smiled, touched that he really cared about her. The apocalypse really had a way of bringing people together, didn’t it? She kissed him chastely and briefly, but pulled away quickly because of the others watching. Her cheeks were still a bit pink when she turned to address them.

“So, what were you going to say before we were interrupted?” she asked the blond man, snaking a hand around Pietro’s waist.

“I was going to say that you’re all welcome to come with us. There’s a small community about 15 miles south of here. We have a nice set up: food, water, places to sleep. All we ask is that you play your part within the group and don’t slack off.” Quinn noticed that he looked pointedly at a bored-looking man with black hair and sunglasses on. She could tell the dark-haired man was rolling his eyes, even if she couldn’t really see it happen.

“Well, I suppose it’s up to you two,” she said, looking between Pietro and Wanda. They had a short conversation in a different language.

“We will go. There are few other options,” Pietro said at her side. She smiled up at him, and he gazed softly back at her. 

“Alright, let’s go then,” the redhead said as she started briskly walking down the road. All of them followed her, lowering their guard a bit as they were in such a secluded place. All the noise seemed to have scared off the animals, so they could basically hear someone coming from a mile away. The blond man from earlier introduced himself as Steve, and was talking animatedly about the town they were headed to.

“We have vegetable gardens and a source of clean water nearby, and oh! I can’t believe I forgot about the best part. I’m so used to it now, I guess it just slipped my mind. We have something big there: a vaccine. It won’t help if you’re already infected, but we’ll get you three set up with it right away, and you’ll be safe from zombification. It has a few side-effects, but it’s nothing life-threatening, and you’ll be glad you got it. There’s some big important scientist that lives there, Bruce Banner, and he’s been working on this since day one. We don’t get many visitors because it’s hard to get the word out when survivors are so scattered. We’ll be glad to have you guys, though.”

A vaccine? She had thought that the disease of undeath would be unpreventable, but now she was hearing about something that would stop her from ever becoming one of those mindless creatures. Pietro squeezed her hand tightly, and he looked extremely hopeful at Steve’s words.

Earlier today, she had thought she was going to get eaten by zombies. Earlier this week, she had stared down the barrel of a gun and accepted death. A year ago, she had assumed she would never make it out of New York City alive. Now, here she was, holding the hand of a man she loved on her way to a safe community in the middle of a post-apocalyptic world. Everything had gone to shit around her, but she made it out alive. She had friends, a full stomach, and a place to sleep with her lover. Despite everything, life was good.


	2. Kismet

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> AU in which Quinn and Pietro are a gaming team. They met on World of Warcraft and are basically inseparable in-game. They decide to meet up in real life and are shocked to find out that they have already met.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (Please don't meet people from the Internet if you are underage or if you have had no prior contact or if they have never sent you specific pictures that you have asked them to send (like holding up three fingers or something) or if you have never video chatted and especially don't go alone.) Thanks for reading!

“Die scum!” Quinn was screaming at her monitor again. This was just a typical Friday night in casa de Quinn. Her left hand was frantically pressing buttons on her keyboard while the right was furiously clicking her mouse. She was currently playing her favorite multiplayer video game: World of Warcraft. And she was kicking Horde ass.

Anyone who plays the game knows that there are two factions, the Horde and the Alliance, and they absolutely hate each other. The player-versus-player element of the game is extremely important and can get really competitive. Quinn herself was a member of the Alliance and she was very loyal to her faction. Her main character was a high-level Night Elf mage. She prided herself in her ability to slaughter innocent members of the opposing side with one quick spell or trap.

She was currently killing low-level orc players in their starting area, and was enjoying every moment of it. While she was shooting fireballs at guards, her monitor made a pinging noise, alerting her that one of her friends had logged in. It was “Vasily” (his screen name). Vasily, a Draenei paladin, had been her best in-game friend since the beginning. They had met when they were both just starting out whilst doing random dungeons for experience. They were a great team, and they had done about 10 random dungeons before deciding to add each other as friends. Vasily’s real name was Pietro, and he was around her age. They had never met in person but had tried to Skype once. Her video cut out, though, and she couldn’t hear anything from his end of the call. She didn’t even really know what he looked like, but she didn’t really care as long as he stayed by her side in the virtual world. She quickly typed out a greeting to her gamer friend.

Iridia (her character): hey pietro, what’s goin on tonight  
Vasily: Not much, I’m just going to farm some gold and call it a night. My sister’s making me run errands later. You?  
Iridia: killin some lowbies and then i’m gonna make some pasta  
Iridia: wanna run a dungeon or two before you leave?  
Vasily: Sure, I suppose I could use some new gear ;)

They grouped up and queued for a dungeon. They got in, slaughtered all their enemies, collected their loot, and got out. Then they were done. Quinn sighed and decided it was time for her to log off for a while.

Iridia: i’m gonna bounce, gotta go get some food  
Vasily: Bring me some :(  
Iridia: wish i could  
Vasily: Ugh, I hate living with my sister. She won’t go out and buy anything. Our fridge is very empty right now. At least she cooks for me.  
Iridia: haha you’re so lazy  
Iridia: at least you don’t live on your own, then you’d have to cook AND get groceries AND clean up after yourself  
Iridia: i’m sure you’re super messy haha  
Vasily: Hey! I clean up after myself. I’m a very fast and thorough cleaner.  
Iridia: suuuuure you are  
Iridia: well i really have to go, talk to you later  
Vasily: Bye Quinn!

Quinn was grinning when she signed off and started getting around to go to the store. She loved talking to Pietro, he was always funny and kind, and she really wished she knew him in real life. After hearing so many horror stories of someone meeting someone else from the Internet and it going poorly, though, she really didn’t want to risk a meeting. She desperately wished he had just been her neighbor or something. Oh well, real life doesn’t work like that, she thought as she pulled on her shoes. She grabbed her keys from her dresser and strode out of her apartment, locking the door behind her. 

When she stepped out of her building, her nose almost immediately turned pink because of the cold wind blowing around. It was still fall, but the nights were getting colder. It was only 7 PM and it was already dark. Quinn pulled her hands into the sleeves of her crewneck and wrapped her arms around her body, hoping it wouldn’t get any colder before she got done at the store. She walked briskly to the grocery store two blocks from her house. She just needed to grab some pasta sauce and maybe a loaf of garlic bread for her dinner. When she reached the store, she almost sprinted inside to avoid the freezing air. 

She didn’t grab a basket, figuring she only needed two things. She made a beeline for the aisle with the pasta sauce in it and searched the shelves for something that sounded good but cheap. There was one jar left of a particular brand that Quinn liked that wasn’t super expensive, so she decided to snag that before someone else got to it. When she started reaching for it, however, she found that someone else was already in the process of grabbing it. Their hands brushed and Quinn dropped hers to her side, embarrassed. She looked at the person she had almost stolen from and blushed.

He was a bit taller than her with a broad, muscular chest. He had naturally brown hair that had been partially dyed a silvery-blond. It looked really silky and Quinn resisted a sudden urge to reach out and touch it. His brows were furrowed and his clear blue eyes were staring deeply into her own brown ones. 

“You can have it, I am so sorry,” he said, his voice thick with an Eastern European accent. He was way too damn hot.

“No way! You were here first. I can just grab something else.” Quinn’s heart was pounding in her chest and her legs felt a bit wobbly, but her voice came out clearly.

“I insist. It is really not that important to me.” He held out the jar for her, but she held up both of her hands.

“It’s really okay. I can just get something else. Thanks, though!” She smiled at the silver-haired man. It seemed like her heart rate wasn’t going to return to normal anytime soon.

“If you do not take it, then I will just put it back on the shelf,” he mock-sighed, shaking his head. He sure was persistent.

“I’m not taking it.” Quinn grabbed a different brand of pasta sauce off the shelf and angrily glared at the man standing before her.

“Then neither of us will have it,” he said as he placed the jar back on the shelf and grabbed a different brand as well. Quinn observed the determined look on his face and suddenly started laughing.

“What is going on right now?” she asked through her laughter. 

“I am not really sure,” the man chuckled, “But I do know that this belongs to you.”

He took the jar of sauce out of her hand and replaced it with the one they had been fighting over. Quinn was about to protest again, but he silenced her with a look.

“Please let me do this. I will sleep better tonight.” Quinn couldn’t help but giggle a bit at the sincerity in her voice. 

“Thank you,” she said. He grinned and nodded at her.

“I had better go. If dinner is late, I will be murdered,” the man said seriously.

“We can’t have that happen,” Quinn laughed. The handsome man winked at her and walked past. She took a deep breath as soon as he was gone. Had that really just happened? The most beautiful man Quinn had ever met had actually talked to her, flirted with her even! She was in shock. She quickly shook herself out of it and went to find bread. She was a bit disoriented and turned down a few wrong aisles, but quickly managed to find the correct one. She grabbed a loaf of French bread and quickly hurried up to the front of the store with her purchases. As she was checking out, all she could think about was the man’s kind eyes and beautiful smile.

She hurried back to her apartment in the darkness, eager to get cooking. When she walked in the front door, she went straight to the kitchen to boil water for her pasta. Half an hour later, she had garlic bread, spaghetti, and a glass of red wine. She plopped down in front of the TV and ate her supper. She periodically checked her cellphone, but never received any new texts or calls. She was really hoping one of her friends wasn’t out with their boyfriends/girlfriends or on a date, but she was sadly disappointed. She didn’t hate being single, but she hated being the only single one of her friend group. She didn’t even have a pet to keep her company (her apartment complex didn’t allow them). If only she had gotten that guy’s number tonight. Oh well, she sighed internally.

Quinn finished her dinner and threw the dishes in the sink. She made her way over to her computer and loaded up her game. To her surprise, Vasily was signed in and questing. He must’ve gotten done with whatever his sister had wanted to do. A message from him popped up in her chat the moment she logged in.

Vasily: Quinn! I missed you.  
Iridia: haha, missed you too piet  
Vasily: How was dinner?  
Iridia: delicious, how was your sister’s wrath  
Vasily: Very funny, but I finished my chores and I have appeased the beast.  
Vasily: I am so glad she is not reading this over my shoulder.  
Iridia: aha that’d be bad  
Iridia: so  
Iridia: i met a guy tonight  
Vasily: Really? Oooh, what was he like? Was he handsome? Did he sweep you off your feet?  
Iridia: he was just really nice and really, REALLY hot  
Iridia: like he was so hot he could melt the antarctic  
Iridia: so damn hot  
Vasily: Wow, he sounds like a dream! When is the wedding?  
Iridia: never :(  
Iridia: i never even got his phone number  
Vasily: I am disappointed in you Quinn!  
Iridia: ugh i know, i’m disappointed in myself  
Iridia: no point dwelling on it, though, let’s just do a dungeon  
Vasily: If you say so.

On the other end of the conversation, Pietro was fuming. He knew he shouldn’t have been angry, but he had always sort of hoped that someday, somehow, he and Quinn would get together. He didn’t know what she looked like, but she was nice and funny and laughed at his jokes. He had only joined this game to meet more English speakers and improve his writing skills, but he had met Quinn and decided that he just really loved the game (and her). He pretended like it was alright, but it really wasn’t, and when he signed off that night he went to sleep with a heavy heart.

A week passed and Quinn had not forgotten about the handsome blue-eyed man from the grocery store. She had gone back almost every night but hadn’t seen him yet. She figured she was probably just going at the wrong times and started to go at random throughout the day. She felt a little creepy but figured if they were meant to be together they would see each other eventually. She also continued to play WoW every single night with Pietro. That Friday, he said something that really surprised her.

Vasily: I think we should meet up sometime. In person.

She had stared at those words for a good ten minutes before actually responding to him. Her hands were shaking a bit as she typed out her response.

Iridia: that sounds good, just pick a time and a place i suppose

Both knew that they lived in America but still had to work out the details of where they would actually meet up. They figured out that they both lived in New York City through this, and decided to meet up at a fountain in a park during the day. Quinn had set it up with a friend that they would hang around and watch her in case Pietro actually turned out to be some creepy murderer, and Pietro had done the same with his sister. On the following Tuesday, Pietro was sitting on the fountain waiting for Quinn to show up.

“Hey!” He saw a young woman with curly dark hair and freckles across her cheeks come up to him. She was grinning at him. “You’re the guy from the grocery store! Remember?” 

He had thought she looked familiar. Now, he realized that she was the same young woman that he had given up his sister’s favorite pasta sauce for. Wanda had been furious until he had explained what happened.

“Yes, you’re the girl from the grocery store,” he quipped with a smirk on his face. She laughed and came to a stop in front of him.

“So what brings you all the way out here?” she asked as she plopped down on the edge of the fountain next to him.

“I am waiting for a friend. She was supposed to be here by now actually,” Pietro said as he looked down at his watch.

“Well, I’m waiting, too. I suppose we could just… wait together?” she asked a bit hopefully.

“Sure,” Pietro said. He was happy for the company but didn’t know what the etiquette would be when Quinn finally showed up. He supposed they should have coordinated this better so they knew what the other would be wearing or what their hair looked like.

“So, I guess I can’t really just call you ‘Grocery Store Dude.’ What’s your name?” She was smiling at him. He couldn’t help but find her extremely adorable, but he was waiting for Quinn right now. He didn’t care one bit about Quinn’s appearance; she could look like anything or anybody and he wouldn’t care. He had fallen for her personality and her banter, not what her face looked like. He shook off these feelings, though, and answered the girl next to him.

“My name is Pietro.” He was about to ask what her name was when he noticed her smile fall and her cheeks turning bright red. “What is wrong?”

“Well… this is gonna be super awkward.” She winced and looked away. “I guess… how common is the name Pietro?”

He was silent for a full minute as her words registered in his head. Did that mean..?

“Quinn?” he asked. She nodded and his eyes widened. Then, they crinkled as he started laughing heartily.

“So, you think I’m handsome?” Quinn groaned and buried her face in her hands.

“Dammit Pietro, I can’t believe this. Why didn’t you tell me you were a freakin’ male model?” Her voice was muffled by her hands. Pietro’s laughter only got louder at her words.

“Quinn, do not be embarrassed. You are quite beautiful as well,” he said as his laughter died down. She uncovered her face and stared up at him.

“Ugh, thanks, but I don’t even compare to you,” she griped. Pietro frowned at the disheartened girl.

“Do not say these things Quinn. You are beautiful, inside and out. I did not come all this way because you are just a pretty face. I came today because I love our conversations and I want to be your friend in real life as well as in the game. You are kind and intelligent, and the way you speak to me makes me very happy,” Pietro exclaimed passionately. Quinn smile had grown wider throughout his little speech.

“I’m so glad you’re you.” She threw her arms around his neck and pulled him in for an unexpected hug. He hugged back, a bit startled at first. They were content in each others’ arms. This was where they were truly meant to be. This was kismet.


	3. Like It Never Happened

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What would have happened to Quinn Rosen if she had never been kidnapped? Would she have ever met the other Avengers? More importantly, would she ever have met a certain silver-haired Sokovian man?

The sun was going down over New York as Quinn Rosen sat atop the roof of her apartment building. Her 18th birthday had been a few days before, and she was basically contemplating her entire existence on the top of this building. She didn’t know where she’d go to school or what she’d major in or what job she wanted or… anything really. She just wanted to sit at home and lounge around for the rest of her life, but she figured her parents would never let her.

Speaking of her parents, they chose this exact moment to send her a text asking when she’d be back downstairs. She sighed and typed out a response (“In a minute”) and pocketed the phone. In the reflection of the darkened screen, she had seen some flyaway strands of her unruly hair, but she ignored them and buried her face in her hands. The future had her truly stressed out. What was she going to do?

After sitting like that for a few more minutes, she slowly hoisted herself up and made her way back down to her apartment. She had made it a quarter of the way down before she heard a door slam below her. It was loud and unexpected, but she just shrugged it off, figuring whoever was living there was fighting or angry or did it on accident. She made it to her own floor and walked in the door to the smell of her mom’s cooking.

“Where’ve you been, sweetheart?” Her mom had rushed over to her as soon as she put her foot through the door.

“I was just on the roof,” Quinn replied, shrugging off her mom’s intrusive hands and taking a seat at the dinner table. 

“Your father heard a commotion upstairs; we thought something was wrong, that you were in trouble.”

“Nope, I’m fine. Stop worrying, I can handle myself with our crazy neighbors,” Quinn laughed as she scooped some mashed potatoes onto her plate. Her dad chose that moment to stride in and take his own place at the table.

“So, Quinn, about college…” he started. Quinn automatically groaned at his words. She hated having this discussion with her dad. He always pressed her to go wherever she wanted, but she knew that money was tight right now. The deadline to choose a college was quickly approaching, though, and she had to make a decision soon. She was torn between two different schools, but she figured now was as good a time as any to make a choice.

“Dad, I think I’m gonna go to Brown. I know it’s out of state, but with the scholarships I got it’s cheaper and I think I’ll really like it.” Her dad looked a bit startled at her declaration, but smiled at her choice.

“I’m glad you figured it out, Quinn.” He clapped her on the shoulder as she rolled her eyes.

“I’m still gonna be in debt forever, but I figure I might as well have fun,” she laughed.

Over two years later, she was sitting in the exact same spot in her kitchen telling her parents all about her second year at Brown. It was the summer before her junior year. She had decided to major in the History of Art and Architecture, and she absolutely loved the program. In fact, she loved it so much that she had decided to join the department on a trip they were hosting over to Europe. She was extremely excited, as she was going on this trip with a bunch of her friends and favorite teachers.

“You leave tomorrow at 8, right?” her dad asked her over dinner.

“Yup, and we’ll be back in a month,” she said through a mouthful of food. She was currently shoveling her mom’s biscuits and gravy into her mouth, knowing it was the last time for a while that she’d have something so American.

“We’re so proud of you, honey, you know that right?” Her mom reached across the table and took her hand.

“Aww, mom,” Quinn groaned, “Don’t get all sappy on me.”

“I suppose I’ll leave that to your father, then,” her mom laughed. She would really miss these two while she was gone, but she was getting more and more independent. She loved the freedom of being able to do whatever she wanted, whenever she wanted at college. She never had to ask to go out or tell anyone where she was going, and she loved being able to just live on her own. 

The next morning, she was seated on the plane at 8 AM, ready to fly over to a continent rich with history and culture. They were going to a few different countries: France, Italy, Romania, and Sokovia. Christa and Emily, two of Quinn’s best friends, were seated next to her, and they were all chattering excitedly about the places they were going to visit and the people they were going to meet. Quinn was most excited to go to Sokovia; something about visiting Novi Grad, the capital, sparked her interest. She couldn’t really pinpoint the exact reason she wanted to go. Whenever she thought about it, she got a tingling feeling in the pit of her stomach and just felt like she absolutely needed to be there. 

They finally landed after about an eight hour flight, and they immediately began their trip to Europe. They were in France, Italy, and Romania for one week each, and then they were finally on their way to Sokovia. They hadn’t really been keeping up with the news, which meant they hadn’t heard what had happened with the Hulk in South Africa. Apparently, he had gone on a rampage and destroyed half of a city. People were generally pretty accepting of the Avengers, but now everyone was upset that a member of their team would do something like this. Quinn and her friends, though, didn’t even know what they were getting into.

When they finally reached Novi Grad, they had about one day of peace before everything went to shit. They were enjoying the sights and trying not to pay attention to any of the general public’s grumblings about the government, when all hell broke loose. When Quinn thought about her death, it usually didn’t involve robots trying to murder her. She thought she’d die peacefully in her sleep, but now that she was being chased by machines hell-bent on killing her, she prayed that the end would just come quickly. What she didn’t expect, though, was the man who swept her off of her feet.

Quinn and her friends had run screaming with the crowd, but Quinn was quickly separated. She was confused and terrified. Where did these robots come from? Why are they here? These thoughts were swimming through her mind along with complete and utter terror as she sprinted down streets trying to avoid the machines. The real horror came when she felt the ground shudder and start to crack beneath her feet. The pavement split open not five feet from her, and she was so startled that she fell to the ground. She was scrambling to get up when she felt a cold metal hand grip her shoulder and hurl her through the air. She shrieked and closed her eyes, feeling the air rush past her, but she never felt a collision. Instead, she felt herself being supported by two strong, muscular arms. She opened her eyes.

“You should really be more careful.” An extremely handsome man was gazing down at her. He had silver hair with brown roots, the clearest blue eyes she had ever seen, and extremely sexy stubble. Now is not the time to ogle, she thought to herself as she shook herself out of her reverie.

“I, um… Thanks,” she said lamely.

“No problem,” he said with a thick accent as he gingerly set her on the ground. She noticed they were near a helicarrier and not even close to the street that she had been on before.

“How did we…?” She looked utterly confused as she looked between where they were standing and the man in front of her. He just winked and disappeared in a blur. She gulped and blinked. He must’ve been one of the Avengers, she thought. Her heart was beating quickly, and she didn’t know if it was because of the handsome man or the trauma she had almost undergone. It was probably both, in truth. People were waiting to usher her onto the helicarrier, but she needed to take a moment to relax. Her legs felt like jello and she was steadying her breathing when she noticed a little boy not too far from the safe zone. She glanced around, trying to see if someone had noticed him but it seemed like no one had. She started making her way over to the boy, figuring she had to do the right thing.

“Are you alright?” she asked the boy when she reached him. He just stared at her. She forgot that he might not even speak English, so she just held out her hand. He tentatively took it and she helped him up. She started leading him back over to the helicarrier when she noticed a man jogging towards them. He was stocky and blond, and he had a quiver of arrows strapped to his back.

“Are you two alright?” he asked as they approached.

“We’re fine,” Quinn said. They were about halfway between where they had been and the helicarrier when she heard a sound. It was continuous gunfire that seemed to be come closer and closer. The trio looked toward the sky and saw a jet flying straight toward them firing in their path. Quinn’s eyes about popped out of her head at the sight. They started to run, but Quinn figured they wouldn’t be fast enough. Suddenly, she felt something hit her back hard. They all went flying. Quinn herself slid face-first into the dirt. She was going to be scraped up, but at least she wasn’t filled with bullet holes.

“You didn’t see that coming?” a voice behind her asked incredulously. She rolled over and saw the silver-haired man again, and he was directing his question to the stocky blond that had met her in the middle of the warzone. He just groaned and sat up. Quinn suddenly remembered the little boy and her head shot up to look for him. He was sitting up next to her; his mom had run from the helicarrier and was showering him with affection and tears. 

“This is twice I have saved your life, should there not be some kind of reward?” She turned her head and saw the strange handsome man standing in front of her, his hand outstretched. She gulped.

“Well, after everything that’s happened today, I think I need a drink.” Quinn took his hand and he laughed heartily and pulled her up. She wiped her other hand on her jeans and blushed, thinking about how disgusting she must look.

“When I am done here, I will take you out. I know this nice German restaurant that you will enjoy.” He was smirking at her and she noticed that he hadn’t let go of her hand. She blushed even harder and bit her lip.

“What is your name, dragă*?” He asked her, finally pulling away (not that she had minded).

“I’m Quinn Rosen,” she said a bit shakily.

“Well, I am Pietro Maximoff, and I am very much looking forward to later.” He winked again at her, and she hadn’t thought it possible that her blush would get any deeper but it did.

“Pietro, quit flirting! We still have work to do,” the other stockier man shouted at the godlike man in front of her. He smirked at her one last time before disappearing again. She really, really hoped he made good on his offer but sincerely doubted it. 

She got on the helicarrier finally and looked around for her friends. She found them quickly, or rather they found her. Christa and Emily attached themselves to her body. They were both crying messes and she couldn’t blame them. Everything was still kind of shitty in Novi Grad, but they were safely aboard the aircraft now, and they were making their way somewhere safer. When the finally landed, they found that they had been dropped off in Austria. Luckily, they all had their passports and money on them at all times, or they would’ve never been able to get out. The three found their way to the nearest airport while Quinn told them all about the man she had met.

“... I’m telling you he had super speed. He must’ve been one of the Avengers. It was incredible to even meet him,” she gushed while they were sitting and waiting for a plane to arrive. They still had about six hours, as that was a the soonest flight back to the states. Quinn couldn’t help but regret never finding Pietro after the fact, but there had been no way to as she was thousands of feet in the air while he was still doing his job against the evil robot mastermind. She was deep in thought but was pulled out of it as she felt a hand on her shoulder.

“Leaving before our date?” a heavily-accented male voice asked her. She turned around excitedly to see Pietro standing behind her. She shot up out of her seat and smiled at him.

“You’re here! So let me get this straight, you have, like, super powers, right?” He laughed at her words and nodded.

“Yes, I am the fastest man alive,” he replied.

“Only when it matters, I hope.” Oh God. The words had slipped out without warning and she felt her entire face turning red. To her surprise, Pietro just chuckled.

“I can take things slow when I want. But I do not want to do so right now.” Without any warning, he lifted her off her feet and they were moving. Quinn shut her eyes; the world was going by way too quickly for her to not feel sick. Within minutes, they were in what she assumed was Germany.

“Here it is!” Pietro gently set her down in front of a restaurant. She couldn’t read German so she just glanced at all the signs around her. None of the people seemed to notice anything strange about how they had gotten there. Pietro startled her by lacing his fingers through her own and tugging her into the building.

While they ate, they found out that they actually had a lot in common. Their pasts were very different, but had similar tastes in music, food, animals, etc. They had a real spark, something Quinn had never felt with anyone before. Before she knew it, though, the date was over. Pietro paid the bills and they left the dining establishment. They were back in the airport and next to her friends within the next few minutes, but she never wanted this to end.

“Um… I’ll see you again won’t I?” she asked a bit shyly. 

“I will make sure of it.” She had already given him her phone number, and she was really hoping he would call.

“Good,” she said, grinning. Before she knew what was happening, he had leaned down and placed a kiss on her cheek. Then, he was gone. She sunk down into the seat next to her astounded friends and just sighed dreamily.

“I am so glad we went to Sokovia,” she murmured, closing her eyes and grinning.

*dragă - dear


	4. Morning Run

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steve Rogers is going for his morning run, but Sam Wilson wants to put the captain in his place.

"What are we doing out here?" It was 7 AM on a Tuesday morning, and Quinn Rosen was wrapped in her boyfriend's jacket standing behind a tree in the park. Pietro, her boyfriend, kept peeking around the tree to look for something or someone. He turned to her and grinned.

"The Falcon has asked me to do something for him. He has given me five American dollars! This country is truly amazing." He grinned at the confused expression on her face.

"What exactly are we doing for him?" Quinn asked. She didn't know what exactly was so important to pull her away from the warmth of their comfortable shared bed. She shivered in the cold morning air.

"This is where the captain runs every morning, and Sam gave me specific instructions to run past him and yell 'on your left.' And you must film it," Pietro said happily. Quinn groaned. This was definitely not worth getting up so early. She rolled her eyes at her boyfriend's eager expression. She saw Steve out of the corner of her eye.

"Well, he's coming around the corner." Pietro peeked out and nodded at her. She pulled out her cell phone as he sped away, turning around a few feet back from the captain and running at a normal human speed behind him. Quinn pressed the record button on her phone and aimed it at the men. Pietro sped up a bit and came up on Steve's left-hand side.

"On your left, old man!" he shouted as he sped past the captain, cackling like a madman. Steve looked a bit startled, but he quickly grimaced when he realized what was going on.

"Did Sam put you up to this?" he yelled at Pietro, who was extremely far ahead of him by now. Quinn couldn't stop laughing as she watched Steve try to catch up to her speedy boyfriend. It was even funnier when Steve actually caught Pietro after tripping him when he was trying to taunt him. She watched them wrestle and didn't make any attempt to help Pietro. She was laughing way too hard. This might've actually been worth it after all.

"I hope you got the money up front Pietro!" she yelled, giggling as Steve put him in a headlock. Yup, definitely worth it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one's pretty short, and it's based off a comic I found. I'm sure it's been done before, but I just thought it'd be fun to write. Thanks for reading!
> 
> Update: I found the original comic. http://freudensteins-monster.tumblr.com/post/119152672936/the-quick-one-sorry-steve-bonus-sorry


End file.
